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*hb1292*
HOUSE BILL 1292
O4, J2 6lr3623
HB 1480/25 – APP
By: Delegates Bagnall and Cullison
Introduced and read first time: February 12, 2026
Assigned to: Appropriations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 2, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Child Advocacy Centers – Continuity of Care Standards for Health Care 2
Professionals and Reports of Violations 3
FOR the purpose of requiring that standards established by the Maryland Statewide 4
Organization for child advocacy centers require an individual employed by or 5
contracted with a child advocacy center providing medical or mental health services 6
in a child advocacy center to be licensed or certified, if applicable, and provide 7
services within the scope of the license or certification and require each child 8
advocacy center to establish a certain continuity of care plan; requiring each child 9
advocacy center to report certain violations to a certain health occupations board or 10
the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy; authorizing the Governor’s 11
Office of Crime Prevention and Policy to issue grants to assist child advocacy centers 12
with technical assistance to implement standards; requiring the Governor’s Office of 13
Crime Prevention and Policy to publish certain information related to child advocacy 14
centers on the Office’s website on or before a certain date each year; and generally 15
relating to child advocacy centers. 16
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 17
Article – Criminal Procedure 18
Section 11–928 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2025 Replacement Volume) 21
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 22
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 23
2 HOUSE BILL 1292
Article – Criminal Procedure 1
11–928. 2
(a) The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy shall establish and 3
sustain child advocacy centers in the State and ensure that every child in the State has 4
access to a child advocacy center. 5
(b) The child advocacy centers: 6
(1) may be based in private nonprofit organizations, local departments of 7
social services, local law enforcement agencies, or a partnership among any of these 8
entities; 9
(2) shall be developed and located to facilitate their use by alleged victims 10
residing in the surrounding areas; 11
(3) shall assist in the response to or investigation of allegations of sexual 12
crimes against children under Title 3, Subtitle 3 of the Criminal Law Article and sexual 13
abuse of minors under Title 3, Subtitle 6 of the Criminal Law Article and Title 5, Subtitle 14
7 of the Family Law Article; 15
(4) may assist in the response to or investigation of allegations of child 16
abuse and neglect under Title 3, Subtitle 6 of the Criminal Law Article and Title 5, Subtitle 17
7 of the Family Law Article and allegations of a crime of violence in the presence of a minor 18
under § 3–601.1 of the Criminal Law Article; 19
(5) shall provide a level of care that meets or exceeds the national 20
accreditation standards for child advocacy centers established by the Maryland Statewide 21
Organization for Child Advocacy Centers under subsection (d) of this section; and 22
(6) shall be included in all joint investigation procedures developed in 23
accordance with § 5–706 of the Family Law Article. 24
(c) The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy may contract with 25
public or private nonprofit organizations to operate child advocacy centers. 26
(d) (1) The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy shall co ntract 27
with a nonprofit organization that is qualified under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue 28
Code and represents urban, rural, and suburban child advocacy centers in the State to 29
establish a Maryland Statewide Organization for Child Advocacy Centers. 30
(2) The purpose of the Maryland Statewide Organization for Child 31
Advocacy Centers is to provide training, technical assistance, data collection, and capacity 32
building to meet local, State, and national requirements for child advocacy centers. 33
HOUSE BILL 1292 3
(3) [The] SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (4) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE 1
Maryland Statewide Organization for Child Advocacy Centers shall establish standards for 2
child advocacy centers in the State that meet national accreditation standards for child 3
advocacy centers and shall include: 4
(i) multidisciplinary teams that include representation from law 5
enforcement, prosecutors, child protective services, the medical and mental health fields, 6
and victim advocacy; 7
(ii) cultural competency and diversity; 8
(iii) forensic interviews that are neutral, fact –finding, and avoid 9
duplicative interviewing; 10
(iv) victim support and advocacy for children and caregivers, 11
including appropriate counseling, legal, and medical services or referrals; 12
(v) medical evaluations; 13
(vi) mental health services; 14
(vii) a formal case review process; 15
(viii) a case tracking, monitoring, and outcomes process; 16
(ix) organizational capacity; 17
(x) creating a child –focused setting that is comfortable, safe, and 18
private; and 19
(xi) any additional necessary standards. 20
(4) THE STANDARDS ESTABLI SHED UNDER PARAGRAPH (3) OF THIS 21
SUBSECTION SHALL REQUIRE: 22
(I) AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOY ED BY OR CONTRACTED WITH A 23
CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER PROVIDING MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AS 24
DEFINED BY NATIONAL ACCREDIT ATION STANDARDS AS PART OF A 25
MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM TO BE LICENSED OR CERTIFIED BY THE APP ROPRIATE 26
HEALTH OCCUPATIONS B OARD, IF APPLICABLE , AND PROVIDE SERVICES WITHIN 27
THE SCOPE OF THE PRO VIDER’S LICENSE OR CERTIFICATION OR PRACTICE UNDER 28
LAWFUL SUPERVISION AS AUTHORIZED BY STATE LAW; AND 29
(II) EACH CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER TO ESTABLISH A 30
CONTINUITY OF CARE PLAN THAT AT A MINIMUM SHALL: 31
4 HOUSE BILL 1292
1. IF KNOWN BY THE CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER AND THE 1
FORMER PROVIDER IS EMPLOYED BY OR CONTRACTED WITH THE CHILD ADVOCACY 2
CENTER, IN COMPLIANCE WITH HIPAA (HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND 3
ACCOUNTABILITY ACT) AND APPLICABLE FEDERAL AND STATE CONFIDENTIALITY 4
LAWS, AND ONLY IF IT DOES NOT PRESENT A DANGER TO THE CHILD , PROVIDE 5
WRITTEN NOTIFICATION TO THE CH ILD AND PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN WHEN 6
THERE IS A CHANGE IN A PROVIDER OF MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH SERVIC ES 7
THAT INCLUDES THE NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION OF THE NEW PROVIDER OR 8
PRACTICE AND FORMER PROVIDER OR PRACTICE TO PROVIDE A MEANS T HROUGH 9
WHICH THE CHILD AND PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN CAN CONTACT THE NEW AND 10
FORMER PROVIDER; AND 11
2. SUBJECT TO ITEM 1 OF THIS ITEM , ALLOW THE 12
FORMER PROVIDER, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVIDER’S PROFESSIONAL ETHICS 13
AND STANDARDS OF CAR E, TO CONTACT THE CHILD AND PARENT OR LEGAL 14
GUARDIAN TO CONDUCT A TERMINATION SESSIO N AND WHEN INDICATED AS 15
CLINICALLY APPROPRIATE AND PRESEN TING NO ADDITIONAL R ISK TO THE CHILD 16
AS DETERMINED BY THE CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER SUPERVISOR TO ASSIST IN THE 17
TRANSFER OF CARE. 18
(5) EACH CHILD ADVOCACY C ENTER SHALL REPORT A COMPLAINT 19
RESULTING IN A FINDI NG BY CHILD PROTECTI VE SERVICES BASED ON THE 20
STANDARDS ESTABLISHED UNDE R PARAGRAPH (3) OF THIS SUBSECTION T O THE 21
GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF CRIME PREVENTION AND POLICY FOR REFERRAL TO THE 22
ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR INVESTIGATION AND FURTHER ACTION, IF NECESSARY. 23
(e) (1) Money for child advocacy centers: 24
(1) (I) shall be distributed to child advocacy centers in accordance with 25
a formula agreed on by the Maryland Statewide Organization for Child Advocacy Centers 26
and the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy; 27
(2) (II) shall be used to supplement, not s upplant, money that the 28
program receives from other sources; and 29
(3) (III) may be used to assist child advocacy centers in meeting the 30
standards under subsection (d) of this section. 31
(2) THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF CRIME PREVENTION AND POLICY 32
MAY ISSUE A GRANT TO ASSIST A CHILD ADVOCACY CENTE R WITH TECHNICAL 33
ASSISTANCE TO IMPLEMENT STANDARDS. 34
HOUSE BILL 1292 5
(f) (1) On or before June 1 each year, the Governor’s Office of Crime 1
Prevention and Policy shall submit an annual report, in accordance with § 2 –1257 of the 2
State Government Article, on child advocacy centers to the General Assembly. 3
(2) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY JUNE 1 EACH YEAR , BEGINNING IN 4
2028, THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF CRIME PREVENTION AND POLICY SHALL 5
PUBLISH ON ITS WEBSITE, FOR THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING YEAR: 6
(I) A DESCRIPTION OF THE STANDARDS FOR CHILD ADVOCACY 7
CENTERS ESTABLISHED BY THE MARYLAND STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION FOR CHILD 8
ADVOCACY CENTERS AND INFORMATI ON ON COMPLIANCE OF EACH CHILD 9
ADVOCACY CENTER WITH THE STANDARDS; AND 10
(II) COMPLAINT INFORMATION A SUMMARY OF COMPLAI NTS 11
RELATED TO EACH COMPLIANCE OF CHILD ADVOCACY CENTE R STANDARDS, IF 12
APPLICABLE, AND THE RESOLUTION O F ANY COMPLAINT RECE IVED BY THE 13
GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF CRIME PREVENTION AND POLICY, UNLESS SUCH 14
INFORMATION IS CONFIDENTIAL OR OTHERWISE PROTECTED UNDER FEDERAL LAW. 15
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 16
October July 1, 2026. 17
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.